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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27953834">Nothing Compares</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshAndSnow/pseuds/AshAndSnow'>AshAndSnow</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Bad prompt mashups [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Asgard, Asgardian Tony Stark, Dragons, Friendship, Gen, Love Confessions, M/M, Teenagers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-11 00:15:01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,137</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27953834</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshAndSnow/pseuds/AshAndSnow</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Anthony has a bad day. Loki cheers him up with dragons and a flight through space. It’s terribly cute and fluffy.</p><p>(Prompts:<br/>1. A world where dragons are a common means of transportation.<br/>2. Being able to breathe in space for the first time.)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Loki/Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Bad prompt mashups [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1987786</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>68</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Nothing Compares</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/BennyBatch/gifts">BennyBatch</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>For Tiny, who’s a sweetheart with a birthday – happy birthday, Tiny! &lt;3</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>”Anthony?”</p><p> </p><p>Anthony, who’d been deep in thought, jerked at the sound of his own name. Jarvis, his trusty dragon steed, clearly didn’t appreciate the startled movement, and he made sure to let Anthony know as much by stamping and grunting a bit. Small wonder; Anthony’d been tending to his dragon, a coping mechanism he often adopted whenever he was stressed and upset, and in his surprise, he’d accidentally smacked Jarvis in the side with a cloth.</p><p> </p><p>Torn between tending to his disgruntled dragon and answering the familiar voice that called him, Anthony started mentally flailing for a second, before pulling himself together. ”Over here,” he called back, before he started stroking Jarvis’ side, soothing him.</p><p> </p><p>No more than a few seconds passed before a familiar, dark head of hair popped up around the corner. Not that it surprised him; his friend had always been quiet on his feet, and the hay all over the stable floors was bound to swallow any noise he made.</p><p> </p><p>”There you are,” Loki said, delighted. His joy flickered for a second upon spotting the poorly concealed frown on his friend’s face, though. ”Ah. May I hazard a guess and assume your father has you upset?”<br/><br/></p><p>Anthony shrugged. Then admitted defeat and nodded. ”Yeah. You could say that.”<br/><br/></p><p>”Would you like to talk about it?”</p><p> </p><p>”Not really.” What was there to say? It was just Howard being Howard. Howard , mister’nothing, not even my own son, is good enough for me’. Anthony could think of few things he wanted less than to award that man any more of his mental energy and attention than strictly necessary.</p><p> </p><p>Loki, however, star as he was, understood his best friend better than anyone. He knew not to push. Instead, he offered Anthony a grin. ”May I interest you in something that will cheer you up instead, then?”</p><p> </p><p>That piqued Anthony’s curiosity. ”Like what?”</p><p> </p><p>Loki’s grin widened. ”It’s finished.” The words were vague, but his tone carried a weight. There was no way for Anthony to misunderstand what he meant.</p><p> </p><p>He gasped. ”No. No! Really? You pulled it off?”</p><p> </p><p>Loki nodded and held up two small vials, filled with a silvery liquid. ”Completed this morning.”<br/><br/>This… wow. This was something the two of them had dreamed of for centuries. And Anthony had been aware of Loki’s experiments, had encouraged them even. But that wasn’t the same as being prepared for success, for it to happen so soon. ”You’re joking.”<br/><br/>”I am, in fact, entirely serious.”<br/><br/>Quickly, Anthony pulled himself together, and replaced his gaping with a grin. ”Well, what are we waiting for? Get your dragon, let’s go!”</p><p> </p><p>Laughing, Loki pocketed his vials and disappeared, presumably to go get his dragon ready for flight. For his part, Anthony hurried to saddle up his own, feeding Jarvis a couple of treats, before leading him out of the stables.</p><p> </p><p>”Are you ready?” he asked Loki, once they met up outside.</p><p> </p><p>It was a pointless question; Loki was seated on his own dragon, a stunning black and green creature, sleek and shiny and beautiful, perfectly befitting a prince, and his gaze was nothing but eager as he watched Anthony climb onto Jarvis. ”Simply waiting on you.”<br/><br/>”Waiting? For me?” Anthony’s grin was cocky as he nudged Jarvis, giving him the signal to take off. The dragon did, leaving Anthony to let out an exhilirated laugh and call over his shoulder. ”We’re waiting on you now.”</p><p> </p><p>Fortunately, Loki wasn’t offended. He simply laughed right back and launched after him.</p><p> </p><p>In the end, they raced neck and neck to the edge of the world, neither of them winning, neither of them losing.</p><p> </p><p>”Come on, give me a vial.” It was a testament to the excitement of Loki’s accomplishment that Anthony wasn’t trying to playfully bicker and claim victory immediately upon arrival. But this, this was far too important.</p><p> </p><p>For as long as Anthony could remember, he and Loki had come to the edge of the world, to watch the stars and wonder what it would be like to fly out there. To be surrounding by the pure beauty and the incredible colors, to feel free and anchorless in the best way possible.</p><p> </p><p>It had been impossible, of course, but it had been a wonderful shared daydream.</p><p> </p><p>Until now, until today, when Loki had finally finished brewing the elixir that would allow them to breathe, even in space.</p><p> </p><p>Loki handed him one of the vials, and Anthony found himself accepting it, eyeing it, breath hitching just a bit. This, this was it.</p><p> </p><p>He looked up at Loki, grinning wide and feeling breathless in that wonderful, special way that came with flying high and finish a new invention and being around Loki. ”On three?” he suggested.</p><p> </p><p>Loki nodded. ”One...”</p><p> </p><p>”Two...” The faint pop of the cork being removed sounded, echoed swiftly by another.</p><p> </p><p>”Three!”</p><p> </p><p>Together, they downed their vials of elixir. It didn’t taste of anything in particular, but Anthony was sure that it worked. Within seconds, the air tasted cleaner, fresher. Filled his lungs and energized him in a way it hadn’t before.</p><p> </p><p>Judging by the way Loki’s eyes looked brighter, clearer, more excited, his friend felt the effects too.</p><p> </p><p>”It’s working,” Anthony said anyway, redundant as it might have been.</p><p> </p><p>Loki’s answering laugh was music. ”We can’t guarantee anything until we’ve gone out there,” he pointed out, but his pleased voice promised nothing but success.</p><p> </p><p>”What are we waiting for, then?”</p><p> </p><p>Together, they climbed back onto their dragons. Together, they dug their heels into the sides of their steeds. Together, they took off.</p><p> </p><p>It wasn’t anything spectacular at first. Or rather, it was spectacular in the way flying always was, but no more than that. But then they climbed higher. And higher. And higher. The ground seemed further and further away, the vastness of space enveloping them. Higher and higher and further and further. Until the ground seemed as distant as space once had.</p><p> </p><p>Of course, space didn’t seem any less big, just because they were in it now. Anthony hadn’t expected it to. In the midst of infinity, one was bound to feel like everything was endlessly far away.</p><p> </p><p>It was delightfully perfect.</p><p> </p><p>He looked to Loki; caught him with his head tipped back and eyes closed, breathing in deeply. The sight caused something to soften within Anthony; it was impossible to look away.</p><p> </p><p>For several long moments, Anthony simply admired Loki like that. Even in space, his friend was the best thing out here. And when Loki opened his eyes, looked in Anthony’s direction, and smiled, Anthony had to tell him.</p><p> </p><p>”I love you,” he said, short and simple.</p><p> </p><p>The way Loki brightened in answer would have made any place look lesser in comparison. Space was no exception. ”I love you too.”</p><p> </p><p>And those words were the most beautiful thing of all.</p>
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